Remarks By Perry G. Christie
Leader, Progressive Liberal Party
North Andros Candidate Launch
Friday, March 2, 2012
North Andros, I know that you’re hurting. I know you’re hurting real bad but I come to tell you tonight that there is a balm in Gilead!
Yes, there is a Doctor in the House!
And he’s one of the best there is! A doctor of international renown! One of the world’s best! Former President Bill Clinton referred to him as a national treasure. And indeed he is. He is all that and more. And he’s the next representative of North Andros & the Berry Islands, Dr. Perry Gomez.
Will you be supporting him? Will you be voting for him in the General Election.
North Andros, are you resisting red and going gold?
I’m so glad to hear that!
I thank you so much for welcoming Dr. Gomez so warmly. He’s a good man. They don’t come any better than him. And in him you are going to get a caring, compassionate MP; someone who is going to listen to your needs; and someone who is going to be in a position to do something about those needs. You can take that from me. Dr. Gomez is going to have a very important position in the next PLP administration. That’s going to be good for North Andros & the Berry Islands. And it’s going to be good for the whole Bahamas.
I also want to say how grateful I am to you for your support of the PLP through Vincent Peet over the years. Vince served faithfully on your behalf. I’m grateful for that, as I’m sure all of you are too. I wish Vince every success in his future endeavours.
The task of good representation for you, the good people of North Andros and the Berry Islands, now falls on the shoulders of Dr. Perry Gomez. All of his life he has been drawn to seemingly impossible challenges. And for the success that he’s achieved in this regard, world leaders and the international experts speak with one voice of great praise for this little Island boy who said he could, thought he could, and did great things! North Andros, you have a winner!
Dr. Gomez is an extraordinary man who is a valued member of an extraordinary team – the most impressive team in the history of Bahamian politics. It is a team I am proud to lead; a team that will do great things because we must.
Everything we set out to do will be based upon these premises: we believe in The Bahamas; we believe in Bahamians and we believe that Bahamians should be first in The Bahamas.
North Andros, do you believe?
Do you believe in yourselves?
Do you believe in the untapped potential of your Island and your Country?
Well let me hear you then!
Now the FNM lies as easy as they breathe, you know, so unfortunately we have to clean up some of that mess.
For example, the FNM lie that the PLP boycotted the opening of the national stadium. It’s downright stupid, isn’t it?
My deputy leader and I led the way in attendance at the opening. What kind of boycott is that?
Why would I boycott a stadium that I negotiated for in the first place? They lost their minds over there?
But they never let the truth get in their way over there. They’re too busy trying to distract you from a record of failure, of record murders and record violence, a record of making a recession worse with policies that raised your taxes and hired foreigners instead of Bahamians.
Desmond Bannister’s following Ingraham’s lead, with lies of his own. He talking nonsense about registering dead people right here in North Andros. It’s pathetic and it’s untrue. I’ll do what he hasn’t done and call on the Parliamentary Commissioner to verify the accuracy of the voter lists. Any evidence of fraud – and believe me, the fraud won’t be PLP fraud – he should turn over to the police immediately.
The FNM – they lie about small things, they lie about big things, they lie about everything in between. The FNM’s liar-in-chief, the Prime Minister, said the PLP abandoned National Health Insurance.
He knows that’s not true. It was my government that introduced and passed the necessary National Health Insurance legislation in Parliament. It was the FNM that supported the legislation only to shelve it after securing political victory in 2007.
And all this foolish and idle talk about being indecisive: Under the watch of my government, 22,000 jobs were added to the economy, tourism was booming and everybody had money in their pockets and could keep their homes and pay their bills. Those are the results of focused, determined and visionary leadership.
As a matter of fact, I created hundreds of good permanent jobs at Winding Bay in the Prime Minister’s constituency and began the construction of an international airport in Marsh Harbour.
So you can be sure that your Dr. Gomez will lead the way on improving access to quality health care for all Bahamians – I can’t imagine a more passionate advocate for health care in our entire country.
Now, North Andros, the soil upon which you stand is very fertile. But you have been neglected by this FNM government – they haven’t realized your potential. You have heard the call for a University of The Bahamas campus in Andros, specifically for the study of aqua-related sciences, for marine and mari-culture research and, of course, for agricultural development. The PLP will make this a reality!
We believe that Andros is a perfect Island to launch our initiatives to make this Country more self sufficient by growing more of what we eat, as well as producing enough for export. The PLP proposes an aggressive investment in agriculture, with focus on technology and innovation, aimed at increasing the production, quality and marketability of locally-grown goods. The PLP will invest in packing houses and canneries to develop full circle economies in the Family Islands, beginning right in Andros.
Already, you are leading the way, without Government support, in building your local economy “with your own hands”. You have proven this through fishing and tourism, especially with eco-lodges. The PLP will grant special concessions, including access to land on concessionary terms, technical support and marketing assistance, to Bahamians for the construction and promotion of fishing lodges and small boutique resorts here in Andros and in the rest of the Family Islands.
Oh Andros, we believe in you! I invite you to join with us as we march together in a new direction, towards a new day. Tonight we take an important step in that direction as we officially launch the campaign of a truly great man who is part of a great team and even greater Party –the one and only PLP.
Can I count on you North Andros to elect Perry Gomez?
Can I count on you to vote for the PLP?
Let’s move forward together then; forward to victory; forward with the PLP and Dr. Perry Gomez; forward in a new direction; forward to a new day; forward, North Andros, forward all The Way
PLP! PLP! PLP!
